A Note from our President, Lynn Ward
Dear Chamber Member,

I hope everyone had a wonderful summer! Enjoy the warmer temperatures as long as they last. What upcoming events will we see you at soon?

Our 28th annual Waterbury Regional Chamber Golf Outing is being held Monday, September 18 at The Golf Club at Oxford Greens. The day features 18 holes of golf, lunch, dinner, refreshments, a gift bag, networking, and much more! Register here.

For our Young Professionals, make sure to sign up for our 8th Annual mini golf tournament next week, on September 12 at Hidden Valley Mini Golf in Southington.

Our next Out for Business is on Wednesday, September 20 at Brewbury in Middlebury. Owned and operated by the same family that runs Vyne Restaurant & Bar, this evening is one you won't want to miss. To register, click here.

On Wednesday, October 25, the Chamber will host our annual Harold Webster Smith Awards and recognize the Prospect Memorial Funeral Home owned by the Palmerie family with Small Business of the Year; Unimetal Surface Finishing with Manufacturer of the Year; and Maria Bruscino Sanchez of Sweet Maria's as the Entrepreneur of the Year. Show your support for these local businesses and consider sponsoring the event. Secure your sponsorship level by noon on September 14 and have your company's name or logo listed on the event invitation and other marketing materials. Keep scrolling for details.

For our Watertown Oakville Chamber members, this year's Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner will be held on Thursday, November 9 at Grand Oak Villa.

The Southbury Chamber will hold its Inaugural Membership Celebration on Thursday, September 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Wyndham Southbury Hotel. We will be honoring Chatfield TrueValue with the Business of the Year award; The Bevy Co. with the New Business of the Year award; Brian M. Jones and Dr. John J. Zazzaro, DMD with the Unsung Hero awards. For more details, visit this link.

Looking ahead to October, we will be providing extra coverage for our manufacturers on social media, in the newspaper, and other forums. Please consider advertising your company in our next issue of our Manufacturing Today supplement, which will be published on October 19. We have some great stories lined up! Also, save the date for Thursday, October 12, as we will be hosting our next job fair at the Brass Mill Center in Waterbury. If you are hiring, you don't want to miss this opportunity to get your company in front of hundreds of area job seekers. Additional details to come.

Don't forget to pick up the Republican American newspaper on Thursday, September 21, when our Health Care Council's Health Matters supplement will be distributed. At 10 a.m. on the 21st, don't forget to tune into WATR 1320 AM/97.7 for my monthly Chamber Radio Hour.
You can reach me, as always, at (203) 757-0701 or lward@waterburychamber.com. Keep scrolling for this month’s updates and events to take full advantage of what our Chamber has to offer.

Thank you, more than ever, for your continued membership,
Lynn Signature
In This Issue:
  • President's Note
  • Welcome New Members
  • Upcoming Events
  • Leadership Greater Waterbury Applications Now Being Accepted
  • Chamber Member Survey
  • Manufacturing Supplement Advertising Opportunities
  • HR Corner
  • Naugatuck Chamber
  • Watertown Oakville Chamber
  • Southbury Chamber News
  • Hiring and Training Programs Available
Welcome to Our Newest Members
A warm welcome to our newest members!* We encourage you to connect with them soon and see where your next partnership can be!
Join Us! - Upcoming Chamber Events
Wake Up Your Business

Friday, September 8
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Raymour & Flanigan Furniture
410 Reidville Drive
Waterbury
Young Professionals of Waterbury Region MiniGolf Palooza

Tuesday, September 12
Registration: 5 p.m.
Shotgun start: 5:30 p.m.

Hidden Valley Miniature Golf
2060 West Street
Southington
Wake Up Your Business

Friday, September 15
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Calvary Southbury
354 Kettletown Road
Southbury
Waterbury Regional Chamber Open

Monday, September 18
Registration & lunch: 11 a.m.
Shotgun start @ noon

The Golf Club at Oxford Greens
99 Country Club Drive
Oxford
Out for Business

Wednesday, September 20
5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Brewbury
1383 Whittemore Road
Middlebury
Wake Up Your Business

Friday, September 22
8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Ion Bank Community Room
270 Church Street
Naugatuck
Master Your Membership

Wednesday, September 26
8 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.

83 Bank Street, Waterbury
Zoom option available
Southbury Chamber Inaugural Membership Celebration

Thursday, September 28
5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Wyndham Southbury
1284 Strongtown Road
Southbury
Out for Health

Tuesday, October 3
7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Complete Care at Glendale Center
4 Hazel Avenue
Naugatuck
Save the date for these other upcoming Chamber events:

  • Friday, October 6 - Social Media Bootcamp for Beginners
  • Thursday, October 12 - Job Fair at the Brass Mill Center
  • Wednesday, October 18 - Waterbury Mayoral Debate (Sponsorships)
  • Tuesday, October 24 - Harold Webster Smith Awards (Sponsorships)
  • Thursday, November 9 - Watertown Oakville Annual Meeting
  • Wednesday, November 15 - Advanced Social Media Bootcamp
  • Wednesday, December 6 - Festival of Wreaths
  • Thursday, December 14 - Holiday Gathering
Leadership Greater Waterbury
Application Deadline: October 13, 2023
Area professionals who are interested in developing their careers and becoming better leaders within their organization should consider applying for the Chamber's Leadership Greater Waterbury program, which kicks off its 2023-24 class with the first of a day-two orientation on Wednesday, Oct. 18.

The program got its start in 1985 and over the last few decades, more than 500 area workers have participated in Leadership Greater Waterbury, gaining new insights, skills, and lifelong connections that have repeated benefits not only to their personal growth, but also for their company or organization.

During the interactive program, participants have the opportunity to hear from regional leaders and facilitators from public, private, and nonprofit businesses, as well as more than 500 alumni, to learn about the resources and challenges that affect Greater Waterbury. Through in-person visits, training opportunities, and hearing firsthand from speakers, the participants learn about local and state government, arts and entertainment, history, the local business community, health and human services, education, and communication.

Employers interested in joining the large list of local companies committed to developing leaders within their organizations and the community should consider this rewarding training program. Business owners and CEOs say that employees who graduate from Leadership Greater Waterbury stand out among their colleagues and excel in their work and abilities, bringing a greater return on investment for the company. Classes start November 15 and run once a month until June 12, 2024. A graduation will be held on June 18, 2024. The deadline to apply is Oct. 13, 2023. For more information, contact LGW Program Director Chris Caulfield at ccaulfield@waterburychamber.com or call 203-757-0701.
Chamber Information Update: Response Requested
From time to time, the Chamber is made aware of opportunities for women-owned, veteran-owned, and diverse business enterprises, and we want to be sure we are getting that information to the relevant members.
 
To help us ensure we are reaching you with the best possible information, we are asking interested members to fill out the demographics form at the following link: https://web.waterburychamber.com/atlas/forms/general/4
 
Sharing this data is completely voluntary on your part and will be used for informational purposes only. If you so choose, there is a section on this form that will allow us to share your self-identified categories on our website. This will add your listing to a new page designed to encourage members and visitors to support your business.
 
Thank you for being a valued member of the Waterbury Regional Chamber and our affiliates. We appreciate those members who have already provided a response.
October: Manufacturing Month
The Waterbury Regional Chamber is partnering with the Republican American newspaper to once again to publish our Manufacturing Today resource guide, which will be distributed on Thursday, October 19 to over 30,000 consumers, business owners, and executives. As part of this publication, you have the opportunity to showcase your company in one of the most viewed supplements of the year. We encourage you to take advantage of this unique marketing opportunity; ad prices and specifications are listed below. There are discounts available to Chamber members.

This directory will feature a list of Chamber Member manufacturers, profiles on area businesses and manufacturers, showcases on products made in the region, highlights on career opportunities, and more.

Purchasing an ad to run in the Manufacturing Resource Guide is a great way to reach audiences across Greater Waterbury, the Naugatuck River Valley, and Litchfield County.

If you are interested in learning purchasing an ad, contact David Huck at dhuck@waterburychamber.com or (203)-757-0701 Ext. 309. Ads are due by September 29, 2023. Prominent inside cover and back cover ads must be reserved by Wednesday, September 20.
HR Corner: US DOL Proposes Increasing Salary Level Required for Classifying Employees as Exempt from Overtime Pay
This HR Corner is brought to you by Carmody Torrance Sandak & Hennessey LLP. Written by Attorney Nick Zaino
The United States Department of Labor (US DOL) announced on August 30, 2023, that it will be issuing a proposed rule that would increase the salary level required for employees to be exempt from overtime pay under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). According to the US DOL, the proposed rule would extend overtime protections to approximately 3.6 million more workers.

The general rule is that employees are entitled to overtime pay at the rate of 1.5 times their regular rate of pay for any hours worked in excess of 40 in a workweek. Some employees can be exempt from receiving overtime pay if certain requirements are met. The most common exemptions are the executive, administrative and professional exemptions, which often are referred to as the “white collar exemptions.”
 
To be exempt under the white-collar exemptions an employee generally must:
 
  • be paid a fixed salary that is not subject to reduction because of variations in the quality or quantity of work performed (known as the “salary basis test”);
  • be paid at least a specified weekly salary level (currently $684 per week), although certain employees, such as doctors, teachers, and lawyers, are not subject to this requirement (known as the “salary level test”); and
  • primarily perform certain executive, administrative, or professional duties (known as the “duties test”).
 
There also is a relaxed exemption standard under the FLSA for certain “highly compensated” employees who are paid total annual compensation of at least $107,432. 
 
The US DOL proposed rule seeks to modify the salary level test as follows:
 
  • Increase the minimum standard salary level for an employee to be exempt from $684 per week ($35,568 per year) to $1,059 per week ($55,068 per year). This would increase the salary level to the 35th percentile of weekly earnings of full-time salary workers in the lowest-wage Census Region (currently the South);
  • Increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees from $107,432 per year to $143,988 per year. This would increase the salary level to the 85th percentile of full-time salaried workers nationally;
  • Automatically update the salary thresholds every three years so they keep pace with proposed 35th and 85th percentile salary levels; and 
  • Apply the salary levels to employees in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and increase the special salary levels for American Samoa and the motion picture industry.
 
The US DOL stated that it is not proposing any changes to the salary basis or duties tests.
 
Although this is a proposed rule at this time, employers should determine whether it has classified as exempt any employees who earn less than $1,059 per week. If the rule is finalized, employers will then need to decide whether to increase the employee’s salary level to meet the threshold or convert the employee to non-exempt status and, in doing so, determine the hourly rate. These decisions can impact an employer’s overall compensation structure and could result in morale issues if employees perceive their conversion to non-exempt status as a demotion.
 
Our Labor & Employment team will continue to monitor this development and is available to answer your questions. 

This information is for educational purposes only to provide general information and a general understanding of the law. It does not constitute legal advice and does not establish any attorney-client relationship.
Naugatuck Chamber News
Join us on Friday, September 22 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for our free Wake Up Your Business event at the Ion Bank Community Building at 270 Church Street in Naugatuck. Get a chance to chat with other members, learn more about chamber membership, make new connections, and bring visibility to your business.
Southbury Chamber News
Join us on Thursday, September 28, 2023 at the Wyndham Southbury for our Inaugural Membership Celebration. The Business of the Year will be presented to Chatfield True Value; Community Leader of the Year will be presented to Dr. Jack Zazzaro, DMD; New Business of the Year to The Bevy Co.; and Unsung Hero to Brian M. Jones, for his volunteer service to the community. The evening will feature music by Marty Q, a silent auction featuring D. Noel Imagery, drinks and hors d'oeuvres, dinner, a keynote address from DECD Deputy Commissioner and Chief Investment Officer Rob Hotaling, and the awards presentation.
Watertown Oakville Chamber News
Join us on Friday, October 6 from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. for our free Wake Up Your Business event at The Local Sixty-Three Bar & Restaurant at 465 Main Street. Get a chance to chat with other members, learn more about chamber membership, make new connections, and bring visibility to your business.
Three business leaders will be honored at the 59th Annual Watertown Oakville Chamber Annual Meeting and Awards Dinner on Thursday, November 9, 2023 as we celebrate our Chamber's accomplishments and supporters. 

Know someone who deserves recognition? 
Nominate them! Nominations are due by noon on Wednesday, September 13, 2023.
Hiring & Training Programs Available
Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board: Connecticut Workforce High tech Industries Partnership Grant (CTWHISP)/Incumbent Worker Training Program 

Incumbent Worker Training (IWT) is a type of work-based, employer-driven training for employees who need training to upgrade their skills to
  • secure full-time employment,
  • advance in their careers, or
  • retain their current employment in H-1B occupations and industries.

IWT is developed in collaboration with the employer. It requires long term planning and commitment on the part of the employer's CEO, CFO, HR, supervisors and employees.

The Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board (NRWIB) reimburses contracted training costs up to $2,000 per employee for IT training, and up to $3,000 per employee for manufacturing training. To get the proposal and contract process started please contact Jeffrey Chorches - chorches@careerresources.org.

The workforce board contracts with the employer to arrange the training. The employer chooses the job training course, the training provider, training schedule, and the employees who will participate. Employers are encouraged to backfill open positions that result from incumbent worker training with unemployed and underemployed individuals. One of the goals of U. S. Dept. of Labor Hl-b grants is to make U.S. employers less dependent upon non-citizens.